Voice to the Voiceless: Part 3
The Second Case Study: The Story Trek.
Continuing from last week, I am currently studying and analyzing three separate organizations and the personal life stories they facilitate and broadcast regularly. The goal is to understand these projects in order to better form my own. In each case, I will be asking the following questions:
- How did these projects begin?
- Why were they started?
- What has been their impact on their respective communities?
- What can I learn from their examples?
What is The Story Trek?
The Story Trek is a television show hosted by Todd Hansen and produced by BYUtv. In each of over 100 episodes, Hansen travels around the United States knocking on doors and asking for personal interviews.
“I close my eyes, drop a marker on a map, and go wherever it takes me in America.” (Hansen)
Hansen narrates the adventures across the country as he finds ordinary people — often 3 per episode — and helps recount their stories. Though this show reaches a slightly different audience than the StoryCorps podcasts because it is a television show, the mottoes of the two organizations are very similar. They both believe that everyone has a great story to tell.
How did The Story Trek begin and why?
Todd Hansen originally pitched the project at FOX13, but eventually brought it to BYUtv where it became the current long running series. In an interview with The Daily Universe reporter Kenneth Baldwin in 2012, Hansen explained that he had been really excited about being a sports reporter until he realized it was mostly doing the same things every day. “As a reporter I wasn’t even allowed to cheer. It was rough.”
So Hansen started a series that was completely different every day. Practically everything is left to chance, as Hansen and his crew don’t even know where they are going until the pen drops. They don’t know what kind of greeting they will receive when they get there. They don’t even know how far they are going to have to go for a story, but the unpredictability is likely part of why they are still at it after 10 seasons.
In a 2016 article by Deseret News reporter Angelyn Hutchinson, it was mentioned that Hansen and his video crew have had quite a number of interesting greetings with the inhabitants of the places they visit. “Individuals have yelled at him and slammed doors in his face. One woman pulled a gun, and another person threatened him with a bat.” According to the report, he’s even been refused interviews 43 times in a row before finding someone willing to tell their story, but that hasn’t stopped him. There are still so many people with stories to tell.
Though the Story Trek is possibly more entertainment focused than projects such as StoryCorps, Hansen’s goal is very similar: tell as many stories as possible. And through it all, he has to be flexible with the interviews and listen.
What has been The Story Trek’ impact on its communities and audience?
For their work on the Story Trek, Hansen, BYU Broadcasting, and his crew won a 2013 Rocky Mountain Emmy Award. This award celebrated the work he was and is doing in the personal interviews with people who may otherwise never have been able to tell their stories. Like StoryCorps, Hansen is providing a service to his community of the United States to listen to their stories and to share the importance of every individual’s narrative. He is giving voice to the voiceless and very probably changing people’s lives.
Bu the people he finds aren’t the only ones changed by this television show. In the interview with Hutchinson, Hansen said that working with the Story Trek was his dream job because it continued to surprise him with the uniqueness and beauty of each individual’s story. He also said it has made him a better person.
“I am meeting great, normal, so-called boring people, and it’s given me a more upbeat, positive outlook.” (Hansen)
So not only has this series affected the participants by giving them an outlet and a listener to their stories, but it has changed the people working on the project.
What does an episode look like?
In looking at the format and structure of the episodes themselves, it becomes even more clear the value Hansen places on each participant, and how open and aware he is that anyone can have a story. The episode below originally aired November 7, 2016 and focuses on three stories, one of which includes the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil.
Each episode generally follows three separate stories, connected only by Hansen’s continual journey, which each last about six minutes long. Each segment follows the life, career, and most memorable moments of the interviewees. These stories are often more detailed and in depth than what StoryCorps does, and they are able to give a fuller picture of the people involved.
One of the most interesting details of this particular episode is that it involved four people’s stories, which is a rare occurrence for Hansen’s show. Around the 10 minute mark, Hansen comes across a man who he hadn’t planned on interviewing, but the man had a story to tell. So Hansen changed his plan and listened.
Even though it ended up being shorter than the usual interviews — only about three minutes instead of six — it should be noted that Hansen went out of his way to care for this man and recount his story, even when it wasn’t part of the original plan. It goes to show that the Story Trek lives out the creed its series was built on: Everyone has a story regardless of their race, religion, gender, career, or age.
Key Insights and Takeaways.
Through my time understanding the success of the Story Trek, I have created a list of takeaways I plan to keep in mind as I form my own podcast. Story Trek — like StoryCorps — is fueled by normal people and has given me insight into why their organization works.
- Be flexible and listen because some things are better unplanned.
- The stories can change the interviewer, as well as the interviewees and audience.
- Anyone can have a story, regardless of age, occupation, or mental ability.
